


20 October, 1903 :: Columbia

by schwertlilie



Series: White Flags [15]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alaskan Boundary Dispute, Gen, Historical
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-07
Updated: 2012-10-07
Packaged: 2017-11-15 20:19:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/531286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/schwertlilie/pseuds/schwertlilie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Canada has supported the British Empire, so why has the empire stabbed him in the back? That's <i>his</i> land and <i>his</i> ocean access for the Klondike, no matter what Alfred says.</p>
<p>(Or, Matthew is angry, Alfred is tired of trying to be nice, and Arthur won't put up with this shit any longer.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	20 October, 1903 :: Columbia

**Author's Note:**

> I guess you can read this one as slightly shippy? Mostly brotherly? I'll be tagging the explicitly shippy ones, so you can find them/avoid them as you wish. :)

_20 October, 1903 :: London, England :: immediately following the resolution of the Alaskan Boundary Dispute_

"I can't believe you." Matthew strode through the halls, heading for his room. "No, wait. I can. I just thought we could discuss this like adults, not land-grabbing asshole empires." 

"Matt, _wait_." Alfred tried to catch his shoulder, trying to make him _understand_ , but Matthew stepped aside. 

"I don't know why I'm surprised, it's not like you ever really acknowledged me or anything. Canada's just a collection of bumbling provincials who are owned by Britain and have no will of their own." He snorted. "I thought you'd be happy that I was stepping out of Arthur's shadow, getting more independence, but I guess I was wrong."

He dodged around a hall table. "That's not what this was about, Matt. If you'd just let me-"

"Talk? Because _talking_ works so well. You didn't _want_ to talk to me before, to go to international arbitration. Lord, why did I ever think you'd be willing to negotiate?"

"Matt-"

He opened his door. "Don't. I don't want to hear it." He stepped through the doorway, tried to slam it in Alfred's face.

"No." No, he was done with this. Alfred caught the door in his hand, the wood bending around his palm, and forced it back open. "You'll hear it, whether you want to or not."

Matthew growled low in his throat, and it'd be cute if Alfred wasn't so pissed. 

"You think this is about you? There's more at stake here than just a few miles of coastline-"

"It's more than a few miles!"

"- Or pride. It's about Arthur and I not going to war, or trade war, or whatever. It's hard enough listening to Lodge call you a 'bumptious provincial,' what do you think would happen to us if things _did_ get even worse?"

"There is no 'us,' Alfred. There hasn't been an 'us' in-" his expression flickered "-ever."

"That's bullshit, and you know it." He pushed forward, until he was fully inside the room and Matthew was backed against the bed. _Damn_ Matthew and his stubbornness. "Who fought against Arthur together? Who sent men to help you with your rebellions? Whose people did you take in when they were too scared to stay in their homes?"

"Who says I'm 'unnatural and inexpedient'?" Matthew asked, voice deadly quiet.

"Not me." He moved forward again, until they were scant inches apart, and he could see the muscles twitching in Matthew's jaw. "You need a lesson in international politics, Matt, and you need to learn it right the fuck now - we are not our governments. It took me a long fucking time to figure out that Arthur and his kings were not the same, and if you want to stay yourself you're going to have to remember that I'm not my presidents, or my senators, or my governors. I am the United States of America, just as you're the Dominion of Canada and not your ineffectual Prime Minister. Get over yourself."

"That's all well and good except _please_ , remind me: whose boss ran a platform that encouraged annexing their brother?" 

"That's not-" He cut off when he heard a cough from the door. 

Arthur stood with a hand on the door frame, eyebrow raised. "If you both are done?"

Alfred glanced at Matthew, at the blank mask he never used to wear, and stepped back. "Yeah, we're done here." He turned, paused by Arthur's side. "I'll be in touch with you about the signing."

He saw Matthew's fist clench from the corner of his eye.

Arthur nodded. "Of course. Good day, Alfred."

"Arthur." He walked down the hall, and didn't look back.

 

~ ~ ~

 

"Matthew," Arthur said quietly.

"What?" He couldn't keep the snap out of his voice. 

Arthur shut the door, sat himself down on the desk chair. "This was politics, not personal. I thought you were old enough to understand that."

"I thought that the Empire was supposed to protect the interests of its members."

"Yes, and its own interests come first." He folded his hands in his lap, reasonable as ever. It made Matthew's jaw clench. "There were three weeks of negotiations, and nothing came of them. Your government kept rejecting offers. American good will only goes so far, so something had to be done."

"So you could, what, get Al's support in propping up your navy?"

"Careful, lad." 

He looked away.

"It wasn't my decision, Matthew, but I agree with it. The Americans weren't going to allow you to have the land, even if the tribunal had voted in your favour. A little bit of land is less of a loss than an invasion, hm?"

"… It's the principle of it. I stood by you, my people stood by you. We went to South Africa when you called, have stronger ties to you than to our own neighbours."

"You only sent volunteers because you wanted my support in this dispute, and you didn't go to Crimea or the Sudan." He sighed. "You push, Matthew. It's what you've always done, whether it's for responsible government or a trade commission to France. But you need to trust that I know what I'm doing, and that I will look after your interests."

"Yes, sir."

He snorted, then stood, rubbed his hands. "Good. Now, would you like your supper sent up?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Anger is no reason to be off your food. It will be up within the hour."

Matthew didn't answer; Arthur simply sighed, and let himself out.

**Author's Note:**

> Most of the government quotes came from "Canadian Nationalism and the British Empire," Canadians and Conflict, 2001. (Yes, annexation and the "unnatural and inexpedient" comment were real things. Puts a whole new light on that "Two hundred years of peace" post-War of 1812 stuff, doesn't it? :) )


End file.
